Rookie Brandon Jennings scores 32 points, Bucks beat Nuggets 108-102 for third straight win

By COLIN FLY , Associated Press

Last update: November 11, 2009 - 10:47 PM

MILWAUKEE - Rookie Brandon Jennings scored 14 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter, and Andrew Bogut added 23 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 108-102 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night.

Carmelo Anthony had 32 points and 10 rebounds for Denver.

Jennings, who also had nine assists, had already played his best game to date before Denver whittled a 10-point deficit with 10 minutes to play down to 91-90 on a layup by Chauncey Billups.

Jennings answered with consecutive 3-pointers, dribbling aimlessly on the second for most of the shot clock before slowing down and stepping back behind the 3-point line to make it 97-90.

After another defensive stop, the Nuggets frustration began to run over. Kenyon Martin was whistled for a technical foul and Ersan Ilyasova made it 100-90 on three free throws with 2:41 left.

But Denver rallied, cutting it to 100-97 with 46 seconds to go on a 3-pointer by Billups, who finished with 19. Bogut hit a 7-foot floater in the lane and J.R. Smith answered with a 3 with 21 seconds left to make it 102-100.

But Jennings kept up the pressure, hitting his final six free throws to seal it.

Denver got 18 points from Smith in his second game back from suspension and 16 from Nene. Ilyasova finished with 17 points, and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute added 10.

Anthony picked up the pace midway through the third with Denver trailing by 12 when he took a hard foul from Bogut. He went on to score 12 of Denver's next 13 points, but the Nuggets trailed 81-72 to start the fourth.

Jennings again showed why he was selected 10th by the Bucks in the draft by hitting a fading, crossover jumper and twice taking Chris Andersen to the basket just before half. Jennings capped the second quarter by using a screen from Bogut and hitting a fading jumper over the outstretched Birdman to give Milwaukee a 53-47 halftime lead.

Notes: Milwaukee has won three straight overall and three straight at home against the Nuggets. ... Bogut and Anthony were whistled for a double technical in the third. ... A night after benefiting from a replay review in a 90-89 victory over Chicago, Denver got two favorable calls when Hakim Warrick's layup to end the third was waved off and a jumper by Ersan Ilyasova was ruled a 2-point basket instead of a 3 early in the fourth quarter.

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